


Death of a President

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Political, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-10
Updated: 2006-11-10
Packaged: 2019-05-31 10:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15117161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "Someone's killing politicians." Leo said.  "God help us all."





	Death of a President

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This is the beginning of a series that is going to be difficult to write. Suspense has never been my genre but this idea has beaten me about the head and I am going to try it. Here's why it's AU: Nancy ran with Santos instead of Leo and unlike in my normal universe, Nancy has two daughters. Everything else that has happened in my universe up to Tomorrow remains the same.  


* * *

“Mom, I thought…”

The Secret Service came bursting into the suite and Iris McNally screamed.

“No one move. We are on lockdown.”

Nancy looked around at the agents. It wasn’t anything new but she sensed something was seriously wrong.

“Agent Callahan…”

“I'm sorry ma'am, it will have to wait.”

The Secret Service moved everyone away from the windows and they all stood in the middle of the floor.

“Mom?” Isabelle’s light brown eyes filled with fear.

Nancy pulled her daughter close, stroking her face.

“Everything is going to be OK.” She whispered, not sure at all if she was right.

The head of her Secret Service detail, Carl Rowland, came into the room.

“We are going to remove the twins from the room ma'am. There are some things we have to discuss.”

“The hell with that.” Iris was defiant. Everyone commented she was just like her mother.

“We are just going to the library.” Agent Monroe replied. “The First Lady is there also.”

“No!” Iris screamed.

Nancy took hold of both of her daughters.

“Go with the agents and listen to what they tell you, do you understand me?”

“Mom, what if…?”

“It’s OK. Iris, look after your sister. If anything doesn’t jive, you know what to do.”

“Yes ma'am.” They replied in unison.

She kissed their foreheads as four agents escorted them out of the room. That left five with her. Something was definitely not right.

“Dr. McNally, the President-elect is dead.”

“Oh my God!” Nancy covered her mouth, sliding into one of the antique chairs.

“He was found in the bathroom this morning at Blair House, unresponsive. He never made it to the hospital.”

“What happened to him?”

“We don’t know. Right now, it looks like some kind of respiratory arrest. Justice Mendoza is going to come and inaugurate you.”

“Mendoza? What about the Chief Justice?”

Evelyn Baker Lang and Nancy had been friends since Harvard. It made them both giggle over the past couple of months there would soon be both a female Chief Justice and Vice-President…the first time in the country’s history.

“Chief Justice Lang was rushed to the hospital this morning. She complained of chest pains and the inability to breathe.”

Nancy was speechless. Matt Santos and Evelyn. This was sounding less like a coincidence with each passing second.

***

“We are on lockdown.” CJ said to Nora as they sat in the Chief of Staff’s office.

“What's happening?” Nora asked.

CJ didn’t know. They were actually just on their way out of the White House; with the Inauguration in an hour they did not need to be there. The Secret Service had escorted the two women back to CJ’s office and told them to wait.

“Information will trickle in slowly, as usual. This seems a bit strange with the Inauguration about an hour away.”

“I'm thinking bomb threat.”

CJ nodded, grabbing her ringing office phone.

“Yeah?”

“It’s Leo. I'm in my office with Sam and the President.”

“Bartlet?”

“Yeah. Abbey is on lockdown in the residence with Nancy. The President-elect is dead CJ.”

“What happened? Is Josh alright?”

The question and the tone of her voice immediately caught Nora’s attention but she remained quiet until CJ hung up.

“Matt Santos is dead.”

“Was he assassinated?”

“Leo doesn’t have all the details. He said that Josh is fine and so is Helen. They found him this morning in the bathroom. Apparently, he had a respiratory arrest. We might be here for a while.”

“I should call Toby.” Nora said. “This cannot be happening.”

“It’s happening. The game just changed.”

***

Leo, Sam and Jed put their heads together in Leo’s old office. It was the office he used after he came back from the heart attack. A year ago today…where had the time gone?

“I cannot believe this is happening.” Sam muttered.

He had come to say goodbye to the President before he headed over to the site but was held there as the entire White House shut down. It was just a few minutes ago they had learned of Santos’ death.

“We don’t know anything yet Sam. This could be natural causes.”

“On Inauguration Day!” the younger man exclaimed.

“Calm down Sam.” Jed said. “Cooler heads are going to have to prevail today.”

Sam was worried about Josh’s head; it couldn’t possibly be cool right now. Luckily, Donna was there with him. Still, if the President-elect was dead there had to be chaos at Blair House. Depending on what happened next, an overflowing DC could be shut down as they searched for a murderer.

Jed took a deep breath, getting up and turning up the TV. There was a special report on CNN. While he was sure the Secret Service was keeping the Santos situation hush hush, something was happening.

‘House Speaker Jeffrey Haffley was found dead in his office on the Hill this morning. At this point there seems to be no sign of foul play but police are still investigating. The Speaker’s office did not seem to be in disarray and there was no sign of forced entry when authorities arrived on the scene about 45 minutes ago. An anonymous phone call of a crime being committed is what brought them here. They discovered the Speaker’s body while investigating the call. As you know, with Democrats winning back the House, as of today the Speaker was to be Speaker no more. We will be sure to bring you more information as we have it. Again, House Speaker Jeffrey Haffley was found dead in his Capitol Hill office, marring what is supposed to be a good day for President-elect Matthew Santos. Back to you, Miles.’

Jed turned down the TV and looked at Leo. Sam did the same, looking as if he might vomit.

“What the hell is happening?” he asked.

“Someone’s killing politicians.” Leo said. “God help us all.”

***

“The President-elect, Speaker Haffley, and Senator Arnold Vinick are dead. Chief Justice Lang is clinging to life at an undisclosed hospital.”

“Oh dear God.” Abbey clutched her husband’s hand.

President Bartlet and his immediate Senior Staff sat in the Oval Office with Ron Butterfield.

“Where is Nancy McNally?” Leo asked.

“The President is safe in the Residence. She was sworn in a few hours ago by Justice Mendoza with two bipartisan witnesses. This is getting ready to hit the press. Right now, we are on DEFCON 4 and the Sit Room is ready. The White House will have to issue a statement.”

“What's happening?” Sam asked.

“We don’t quite know yet. The four victims were poisoned and it seems to have been slowly, over the period of at least a month.” Ron turned to the President. “Sir, we need to take blood and have you tested.”

“Whatever you need Ron.”

“I would like to speak to President McNally if possible Ron.” Leo said.

“Not now sir, we are on lockdown indefinitely. No one is coming or leaving the White House. We don’t know how many more potential victims there could be. Mrs. McGarry, we would like for you to speak to the press.”

“Alright.”

“Agent Miller, please take the President down to the infirmary.”

“I'm going with him.” Charlie stood up.

“Charlie…” Ron began but the President cut him off.

“We are in the White House kid, I think we’re safe.”

“With all due respect sir, the President-elect probably felt the same way. None of us are going to be alone. I don’t trust anyone right now, especially the Secret Service.”

“I agree with Charlie.” Nora said.

“Take Charlie too.” Ron said.

Abbey kissed her husband. She was afraid of letting him leave that room. The Secret Service told them it was poisoning but what if they put a bullet in Jed’s head as soon as they left the room. Charlie could not beat a bullet. She said a small prayer as they walked out. She had no idea when she woke this morning they would be in a war zone. This was supposed to be over.

“For the time being everyone else stays here.” Ron said. “Mrs. McGarry, when it is time to talk to the press, Mrs. Ziegler will escort you. If you feel safer in numbers that is fine with me because your safety is my top priority.”

“Yeah.”

He left the room and they all just stared at each other. Words failed them as the whole world crumbled beneath them and they tried to grip smooth walls on the way down into the depths of hell.

“Where are Josh and Donna?” Nora asked.

“They were at Blair House this morning with the President-elect, his family, and a few staffers. I would imagine they still are.” CJ replied. 

“We have been in this situation before.” Leo said. “The District is shutdown…no one is going anywhere.”

“But who is running things Leo? Is Jed still President?”

“Ron said Nancy was sworn in.” Sam said.

“We haven’t seen her. What if she is dead too.”

“Calm down Nora.” Leo said. “We can't get paranoid right now.”

“I think now is the perfect time. We are trapped here.”

“We don’t have a Vice-President or a House Speaker.” CJ said. “We don’t even have a Secretary of State. The Cabinet has not been sworn in…if something happens to Nancy, 25 is out the window. This is Armageddon Leo.”

“I'm going to talk to Nancy.” He said, placing his hands on his wife’s shoulders.

“How?” Sam asked. “We’re trapped in here.”

“Does anyone else have an eerie feeling about the Secret Service?” Nora asked. “I feel like I'm in the pages of a Clancy novel.”

“Don’t say that.” Abbey said. “My husband and future son-in-law just left with them.”

“Ron Butterfield is above reproach and we all know that.” Leo replied. “We are going to be OK.”

***

The President of the United States was a virtual prisoner in her own home. The DC metro area was shutdown, CJ McGarry went on television and announced the death of the President-elect and two other prominent politicians, and security was at DEFCON 4. General David Setzer, head of the Joint Chiefs, along with Kate Harper, were in the Sit Room trying to figure out what the hell was going on. She was on her way down there in the next hour to see what the next move was. Was this terrorism, some kind of international intrigue? Or were the culprits in their own backyard? Three people were dead and one of Nancy’s best friends was barely hanging on. How could this be happening?

“Madame President?”

The sudden voice in the room startled her but Nancy didn’t let it show.

“Yeah?”

“Leo McGarry is here ma'am.”

“Alright.”

Leo walked in and the two hugged. He felt as if some of this were his fault. He and Jed pushed Josh to pick Nancy as the nominee. The Mexican-American war hero and the distinguished African-American female scholar with military knowledge…it was the best of the Democratic party. They were all still surprised they won. Now a close friend paddled alone through shark-infested waters.

“It is alright to admit fear.” Leo said as they sat down.

“Only to the Lord and my shrink. I want to get out there and do something. Leo, what the hell is happening. They won't even talk to me.”

“Keeping you safe is all they care about right now. Three people are dead and God knows why. You are the President of the United States…this is not a test.”

Nancy smirked.

“Can I ask a favor?” she asked.

“Anything.”

“Stay. I know that everyone has a life and everyone has plans but I am strong enough to admit I cannot do this alone. I've been here a long time and I don’t trust many people. I don’t even trust those people outside my door and I've known some of them for almost a decade. I could be next.”

“I will stay and I will try to convince everyone else to do the same. We will get back on the horse.”

“I'm on the horse Leo. I'm not a shrinking violet…I am ready to lead.”

“You go girl.”

“I need a Vice-President.” She said.

“You need sleep. We will conquer the rest in the morning. Santos had already tapped Casey for Speaker so there will be someone there in case of 25. We are trapped in the White House at least until morning so…” he sighed. “Are the girls OK?”

“Scared but Iris is doing her Nancy thing, you know. I will protect them.”

“Yeah I know. We have all been thrust into something we are not ready for. Whoever is responsible knew that.”

“They didn’t know us. We will beat them at their own game Leo. We will triumph and excel. I don’t know if I was Matt’s first choice, but I was his choice. He trusted me enough to know if something happened to him, I was going to be ready. I'm ready. I need a speech.” She handed him a piece of paper. “I've jotted down a few things, thoughts and feelings. The American people need to be assured we are not under attack. I need Toby Ziegler.”

“I’ll call him tonight. The Bartlets are going back to Manchester in a few hours; I better get back over there.”

Nancy nodded, watching him leave the room. She could do this; she could be strong for her country and her family. The risks were high and the choices few. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.

***

“Hey.”

Leo tapped on the door and came into the Chief of Staff’s office.

“Hi.”

CJ sniffed, wiping her eyes as Leo sat beside her. He pulled her close to him and more tears came. It was the first time all day they had a moment alone. In front of the others and of course on television, CJ’s stoicism shined through. Now alone, she clung to Leo and he did the same.

“I want to go home.” She whispered. “I want to see our kids.”

“Mitch is there and they are safe. Ron put two teams on the house.”

“I don’t care; I want to be with them.”

“We’ll go home as soon as the sun comes up. Baby, I need to talk to you.”

CJ sat up, wiping her eyes again. That moment was over and it was back to politics.

“Nancy asked us to stay. She needs us.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know for how long but I'm sure it won't be the whole term. We intended to stay in DC for a while anyway, so I figured…”

CJ wanted all of this to be over. Both she and Leo promised to take time off and spend it with their children before Tim started school in the fall. Now they were embroiled deeper in politics than CJ ever wanted to be again. Still, Nancy had been there for her when CJ was flying blind. She would return the favor.

“I'm not staying here another four years.” She replied.

“I know. Nancy is ready, she just needs the people she can trust during this unruly time. At this moment we need to just get to tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” CJ nodded. “I love you so much Leo.”

Leo took her face in his hands. They kissed softly.

“I love you too. We are going to make it to the other side of this. We are strong.”

CJ nodded again though she certainly did not feel that way. She took a deep breath and tried to stop the wheels in her mind from moving so fast.

“We need an Inauguration speech.” She said.

“I called Toby. We’ll be on TV tomorrow night, prime time. How about some food? You must be hungry.”

“I'm starving. Can you just put your arms around me again?”

Leo held her, leaning back on the couch. CJ exhaled and listened to the thump of his heartbeat. She stroked his chest, praying for the strength to hold this together. Life outside the White House was definitely not beginning as she thought it would. They were never going to be free of this.

***


End file.
